Revolutionary Prosthetic Limb Allows Wearers to Sense Temperature and Feel Warmth
In a groundbreaking development, scientists in Italy and Switzerland have created the first-ever prosthetic limb that allows wearers to sense temperature and feel the warmth of another person. The MiniTouch device, which transmits thermal information from the fingertip of the prosthetic hand to the wearer’s residual arm, aims to improve human connections for amputees.
Fabrizio, a 57-year-old man from Pistoia, Italy, became the first amputee to try the MiniTouch prosthetic hand. After being an amputee for three decades, Fabrizio was able to differentiate between hot and cold objects with 100 percent accuracy using the device. The experience was overwhelming for him, as he felt the warmth of another person again, 37 years after his hand was amputated.
“It was a very strong emotion for me. It was like reactivating a connection with someone,” Fabrizio expressed.
The MiniTouch device provided realistic and real-time thermal sensory feedback to Fabrizio, allowing him to discriminate between objects of different temperatures or materials. The technology marks a significant milestone in the field of prosthetics, as it incorporates natural temperature sensations into artificial limbs.
Professor Silvestro Micera, a joint senior author of the study from the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, stated, “For the first time, we’re really close to restoring the full palette of sensations to amputees. And it can be easily integrated into commercial prostheses.”
One of the key advantages of the MiniTouch device is that it uses off-the-shelf electronics integrated into commercially available prosthetic limbs, eliminating the need for surgery. The device is simply attached to a point on the wearer’s same limb, producing sensations in their phantom index finger.
Clinical tests conducted at the Inail Prosthesis Centre in Vigorso di Budriothe, Italy, demonstrated the effectiveness of the MiniTouch device. Fabrizio was able to perfectly distinguish between bottles containing cold (12°C), cool (24°C), or hot (40°C) water with total accuracy. The device also improved Fabrizio’s ability to quickly classify metal cubes of differing temperatures.
Dr. Solaiman Shokur, co-author from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, highlighted the importance of sensory feedback in maximizing the potential of robotic hands. “When you reach a certain level of dexterity with robotic hands, you really need to have sensory feedback to be able to use it to its full potential,” he explained.
The researchers behind the MiniTouch device believe that the ability to sense temperature will enhance amputees’ embodiment, making them feel more connected to their prosthetic hand. Jonathan Muheim, another study co-author from EPFL, emphasized the significance of thermal sensations in neuro-prosthetics, which has been overlooked despite its importance in everyday life.
The next step for the MiniTouch device is to integrate thermal information from multiple points of an amputee’s limb, expanding beyond just the index finger. This advancement would enable amputees to sense when another person touches different parts of their hand, such as the back of the hand. The long-term goal is to develop a multimodal system that integrates touch, perception, and temperature, providing users with a richer and more natural perception of the tactile world.
The MiniTouch device has the potential to revolutionize the lives of amputees by restoring a full range of sensations through prosthetics. By allowing wearers to sense temperature and feel warmth, this groundbreaking technology brings them one step closer to regaining a sense of normalcy and human connection.
